Testing testing

I did my first test TT today. Cool conditions, gently rolling course, little wind, on the TT bike with std. wheels and normal kit and helmet. It was very painful and humbling as usual. I averaged 22.1 mph for the 7 mile course or 35.7 kph. This is the equivalent of a 1.07 hr time on a 40 km course. I've done times that were as high as 37.5 kph in the past or 5% faster. I was completely blown afterwards so I definitely gave it my all. I was coughing and wheezing and my lungs hurt in that way that indicates you went deeper than you have in some time. Well it's only the first month of the year and the first test so lets see what the next one brings a month from now. I think I'm going to do some test 2,000m and some test 500m in the following two weeks.

Progress and Planning

There's a visceral thrill associated with feeling your form coming on. While last week was a rest and relaxation week I still managed a three hour ride on Sunday. A mark of the progress I've made is that it didn't seem that hard or even that long. The 4-5+ hour Sundays that had preceded it made it seem literally like a stroll in the park. Yesterday and today I spent some time working on my training calendar and also plotting our a TT course I could measure my form on. Just the thought of going out and really hammering a test TT made me have the gut lurching sensation that indicates a sharp spike in adrenaline. It's curious how the mind can trigger those hormonal surges simply by thinking about something exciting. The course is 7.0 miles exactly and only has one stop sign that may screw things up at 5.3 miles. I'm also going to set up 500m and 2000m courses to do some testing at the track TT distances. I think I'm going to actually set mph goals and see if this works as an impetus.
Perhaps the time in the weight room has had a real and beneficial effect this year. The last month or so has been focused on relatively heavy weights for me. Both knees have been tweaking a bit, but seem to calm down fairly quickly even when they twinge. Maybe because I took my time with the anatomical adaptation phase. The next series in the gym are lighter weights at higher velocities so that should be a bit easier to handle.